Beauty and the Beast
by The Obvious Narrator
Summary: She was a princess that was never welcomed into her family. He was a man with a dark secret that prevented him from admiration. However, both of them were in search of the same thing: acceptance. When a strange and greedy fate forces these two together, they must learn to forgive and forget, and learn to love one another in the process - "but who could ever learn to love a beast?"
1. Enter Beauty

**Chapter 1 – Enter Beauty**

The morning sun peeked through the thick curtains of Princess Daisy's room. She was already wide awake since her parents had told her to rise early today for some unknown reason. Daisy didn't mind much and she surprisingly felt happy this morning, although she was notorious for hissing whenever the friendly rays of sun reached her skin. Since it was obvious to the kingdom that Daisy was not a morning person, the royal monarch was ready to change the girl's habits. It was about time they brought a few changes to the kingdom, seeing how Daisy was reaching the proper age to marry, and how she was still acting as if she were only a mere teenager. Daisy's poor habits and clumsy attitude is what made her parents fear the most. Although finding a suitor would be no trouble, even the most stuck-up snobs have their standards. Daisy wasn't aware of her attitude or habits and therefore, she lived a carefree life under her parents' rule.

As the sun's rays shifted deeper and deeper into the princess' room, she took this as a signal to meet with her parents for the morning and find out what they wanted. Daisy looked into the vanity's mirror once more, setting her brush aside. She sighed, dusted her signature yellow dress off, and stepped outside of her room. Toadette, Daisy's young advisor and good friend, was skipping cautiously down the hall. She had been waiting for the princess to wake up for a good hour now and seeing the princess as she left her room made her beam with glee. The princess smiled as Toadette bowed while giggling.

"Good morning, your highness!" Toadette said in between giggles.

"Morning, Toadette!" Daisy closed her bedroom's door. "Any news going around town?"

"I think," Toadette thought for a minute, recalling the days' previous events; "The baker ran out of flour last night and had to improvise."

"With what?"

"Ground flowers and sugar," Toadette then let out a disgusted _yech_. "I won't be touching his bread for a while."

"Harsh," Daisy cringed. "Anything else you would like to tell me, dear friend?" Daisy set her voice to the sweetest sound she could manage.

Toadette shrugged, "I think the school kids are looking forward to the field trip. So much that one actually…" her voice trailed off as she came to a realization, "Princess, are you stalling?"

"Stalling?" Daisy's nervousness shone through abruptly, "Whatever is this 'stalling' you speak of?"

"Oh princess," Toadette laughed, "There's nothing to be afraid of."

"Afraid?" Daisy scoffed, "I'm not afraid of anything. You should know that."

Toadette took Daisy's hand and let her down the hallway to the grand stairs. "Then why did you try to waste time?"

"I never know what my parents are planning. Even though I want to know, it's strange that they keep it secret, as if they don't want me to know." Daisy looked down at Toadette as they reached the first step, "Maybe I'd like to keep it that way."

"You're overreacting, princess," Toadette reassured, "I'm sure that your parents have a wonderful surprise in store for you."

"How can you be so sure?"

Toadette shrugged as they reached the final step. Daisy sighed, looking over to the towering doors of the throne room. Her parents resided in there whenever the commoners came to ask for advice or financial help. The only people surrounding the doors today were the two guards, and the girls took this as good news. The guards bowed as Daisy walked closer to them, opening the doors in unison.

The king and the queen were simply chatting quietly to each other, still not aware of their daughter's presence. Daisy called their names softly and their heads turned.

"Oh, sweetie!" the queen stepped down from her throne and gave her daughter a hug. Daisy embraced her, suddenly feeling queasy from her mother's tight hug. The queen stepped back. "I'm glad to see you up so early."

"Yeah, well, you know," Daisy's voice trailed off, knowing even she couldn't explain why she was up this early. The sun had just risen no less than an hour ago and Daisy was usually sleeping in by this time. Maybe it was curiosity or some kind of emotion that Daisy never understood.

"Now Daisy," her father spoke from the other side of the throne room, "As your mother and I have told you, we expect only the best for and from you."

"Yes, only the best," her mother repeated. Daisy laughed on the inside, knowing that her mother repeated whatever her father said thinking that she made her point strict, but it only made her sound silly.

"And we've gone over this topic many times before…"

Daisy rudely interjected, "If you're talking about how I act around people, then we don't need to talk about it again. I know I'm supposed to pronounce my syllables and use less slang and stop contracting and…"

"Don't interrupt your father, dear," the queen hissed quietly.

Daisy closed her mouth and looked at her father, giving him all her attention. The king nodded and resumed his speech, "I know that you might have some objections to such a decision, but your mother and I think it is best."

"…Think what is best?" Daisy tilted her head slightly.

The queen rested her hand on Daisy's shoulder to keep her in position.

"We think that you should have an arranged marriage."

Daisy felt her stomach tie up in knots as she swallowed hard. "A what?"

"An arranged marriage," the queen repeated calmly, "We think that if you marry a royal suitor, you two will learn from each other and you can become queen-like material."

"Queen-like material?" Daisy's voice rose, "Do you think that matching me up with some puffed-up prince will help me become queen-like material?"

"Daisy," the king kept his stern tone.

"No!" Daisy pushed her mother away and stepped away, "I can't just be matched up with some random prince."

"You will meet him the week before your marriage," the queen tried to reach for her child; "It'll be fine."

Daisy backed away even further, ready to run out of the room. "A week? How can I learn to love someone in a week? That's nothing!"

"Calm yourself, child," the king glared.

"I'm not going to be handed off to some puff-ball! I refuse to marry whoever he is! I can change by myself! I don't need him, I don't!"

"Daisy!" the queen called.

It was too late, for Daisy had run out of the throne room. She lost her sense of direction and only kept running forward. She stormed out of the castle, leaving everything behind.

The air was crisp and the temperature was beginning to rise. The sand morphed around every step the princess took. She had no idea where she was going or what she was doing at the moment. If she returned, her parents would scold her and she didn't want to hear the anger in their voices anymore. Daisy kept the tears from rolling down her cheeks. It wasn't the forced marriage that made her cry – it was the fact that her parents didn't accept her in any way. Her father wanted a son, after all. Her mother wanted a regal princess, which Daisy was aware she wasn't anything close to that.

Reaching the edge of the sand dune far from her castle, Daisy stood still at the top, watching the sun. She looked behind her, staring at her very vague castle in the distance. The grand doors opened and the king and queen along with Toadette had stepped out. All three looked frantic and Daisy could tell they were searching for her now. She looked away quickly. She now faced north, the direction of The Mushroom Kingdom. Her dearest friend, Princess Peach, ruled the kingdom on her own and Daisy had to give kudos to her for doing such a good job. Peach was formal, kind, adventurous, but also a tad bit weak. She was everything that her parents expected in a princess. If Daisy could learn from Peach, then her parents would accept her the way they accept Peach.

That was her glorious plan. Daisy was going to run off to The Mushroom Kingdom and learn from the pink princess herself. Daisy had little confidence, but she was willing to try. She would have to wait until nightfall to put the plan into action, however. Looking over to the town nearby, Daisy took a deep breath, blinked a few times to clear her vision, and was on her way. She trotted over the town, keeping her eyes focused squarely on the ground.

* * *

"That girl will be the death of me," the queen shivered underneath the king's arm. Her eye twitched due to a nervous tick that she received every time something bad happened around the kingdom.

"We'll find her, darling. Don't worry." the king looked over to Toadette, who was walking closely by the two. She too was wearing her nervous emotions, but she denied them.

"You two better get some sleep," Toadette put a feeble hand on the king's arm, bringing him to a halt. "I promise I'll keep a watch over the castle tonight."

The king and queen nodded with little hesitation. They trusted Toadette, although she was still no more than an adolescent. They retreated to their room, holding each other close. Toadette sighed, staring back down the hallway. As the master bedroom doors closed, the sound of a window breaking could be heard. The sound of broken glass falling to the title floor was also accompanied by footsteps.

Toadette quickly grabbed a candle and lit it with the flick of her wrist. The light overpowered most of the darkness around her, but not all. She shivered, taking her first steps closer to where the sound emanated from. She opened her mouth to speak, almost forcing complete gibberish to come out from all the stuttering. Toadette grew nervous - so nervous that she felt as if every eye on the kingdom was on her. So nervous that she swore she could see people all around her, although she was the only one awake, for the guards had all retreated to their quarters along with the servants.

A tile creaked. Toadette recoiled.

The broken glass shifted. Toadette thrust the candle forward to light the darkness.

A hand grabbed her shoulder as a girl said, "Shh." Toadette turned around in a beat and opened her mouth to scream. The girl put another hand over Toadette's mouth, "I said shh!"

Toadette gasped and loud out a muffled _princess! _

Daisy nodded and slid her hand down just an inch, "Listen carefully…"

Toadette was far too excited to listen, "Oh Daisy, this will be wonderful! You'll get married soon and get lessons and you'll be in love with the new prince and you'll be queen later after that and…"

"Toadette," Daisy hissed, "I don't have much time and I won't be staying here for long either."

Tilting her head, Toadette asked, "Why? What's wrong?"

Daisy shook her head, "I don't want to scare you."

"But you already did," Toadette huffed, "You scared the entire castle half to death. And you know about your mother and her nervous ticks. If they last too long, then it can be fatal."

"Then tell them not to worry, I'll be fine." Daisy scoffed.

"What do you mean?" Toadette gasped and pulled at the princess' arm, "You can't possibly think about running away – can you?"

"I'll be back soon." Daisy walked over to the staircase, "I'm staying with Peach for a little while, that's all."

"No, you can't do this!" Toadette's voice rose significantly.

Daisy hushed her once more, "It's better for everyone."

"No it's not! You just think it's better because you're running away from the problem instead of facing it. Talk to your parents."

"They wouldn't understand."

"I bet they would."

Daisy took a deep breath. The argument would lead nowhere and they were wasting precious time. "Toadette," Daisy finally said after a few moments of silence, "I just need to you to make sure that my parents don't freak out while I'm gone. I'll be back in a week – two weeks tops, just…stall for me."

"Stall?" Toadette's voice softened.

"Just think of it like that."

Toadette looked down the stair case, holding the candle with a tight grip. If she agreed, then she would lose the kingdom's trust. If she denied, then she would lose the princess' trust and friendship. Toadette knew well that Daisy was ill-tempered and stubborn as can be. Avoiding the request wasn't an option either, although Toadette did stall for time at the moment.

"Please," Daisy begged, "Please."

Toadette opened her mouth to speak, but didn't return eye-contact. "I-I guess…" She narrowed her vision and turned her head back the princess, "You better come back in a week – two weeks tops! That's all I can handle!"

Daisy hugged Toadette with a sincere smile of gratitude. "Thanks, I promise."

She pulled away and quickly ran down the staircase of the castle. "Wait!" Toadette called, still in a hushed voice.

"What?" Daisy quickly turned around.

"What about the broken window?" Toadette looked over at the shards of broken glass surrounding the area.

"Just make up something! You always have the best excuses!"

And with a small giggle, Daisy made her glorious exit out of the grand castle doors. The moon was shining perfectly on the castle and she took it as if it were a spotlight. The desert air was cool, almost a bit cold, but Daisy didn't mind.

She was finally going to get her parent's approval and she felt better than ever.


	2. Enter Beast

**Chapter 2 – Enter Beast**

First, a female shriek:

"MARIO!"

It was then followed by a sudden reptilian roar.

Mario shifted to one side as a fireball was shot in his direction. His right hand lit up in a radiant orange as he prepared his projectile. Mario watched as Bowser tried to make sly attacks, shooting no more than fireballs and summoning fire around the two (which he had ordered the Kooplings to program before the battle). If anything, Mario knew the entire castle inside and out, which worked to his advantage. Although the castles were placed in different lands for every battle, the design almost never changed; but some like to exaggerate the castle's design to make it seem as if it was a new castle all together. No, the castles never changed, and neither did Bowser. He would try, but ultimately fail, and fall before the brothers. In fact, Mario had completely forgotten that Luigi had come along with him. He shot the fireball, which was energized enough to hit Bowser in the face, and looked behind him.

Luigi was fighting off the Kooplings, and as tedious as it was, he was doing a fine job. They were all bunched together in the clown car, making the target easier to hit.

"YAH!" Ludwig shot a blue ball of nothing but negative energy and magic towards Luigi. He dodged it with ease since the shot was poor and incredibly slow.

"Ugh, you're all idiots," Wendy sighed, "I have an idea."

"Pssh, all your ideas are crummy!" Larry shooed her away from the car's controls.

"Nah, nah, like, this is for real. Let's all use our power and, like, destroy him." Wendy looked around at her brothers, "Anyone with me?"

They looked at each other, considering their options.

"Nah," they said in unison, and with that, they started firing their shots of magic all over the room, hoping to Grambi that it would somehow hit Luigi. To their dismay, the shots only bounced off the walls and missed Luigi completely.

Luigi looked over to Mario, who was still busy trying to find Bowser's weak spot. Walls of fire rose up from the ground at Bowser's command, blocking Mario's projectiles. Bowser roared from the other side as he breathed more fire across the wall, which eventually breached through the wall and surrounded Mario. Mario didn't move, although he tried to summon a shield as defense. He ducked down as the fire closed around him. Bringing a fire shield in the shape of a bubble around him, he hoped the fire wouldn't touch him. Everything soon froze in place, literally. The fire had been frozen and as Mario rose, he turned to Luigi.

With a sly little smirk, Luigi snapped his fingers and the ice broke into nothing but miniscule shards. Bowser was obviously not impressed. Ludwig aimed his wand carefully and another ball of energy was shot. It hit Luigi directly in the back, thrusting him forward and turning him to stone. The Kooplings laughed maliciously at their sudden victory. Bowser returned his attention to Mario and Mario followed suit. He knew the stone effects were temporary, so he paid no mind to it.

The stone effect wore off in due time and Luigi fell flat to the dark ground. He turned back to the Kooplings, standing up almost immediately. "I have an idea, guys," Morton exclaimed loudly, "Let's all fire our shots at THE. SAME. TIME!"

"YEAH!" all the Kooplings (except for Wendy, of course) cheered.

They aimed their wands at the green clad plumber as he looked around, quickly thinking of a plan. He studied the clown car, looking at the propeller at the bottom that kept the car hovering far above ground. Luigi's right hand lit up with an ice-like color as he prepared to fire.

The Kooplings' wands lit up with the negative energy as they prepared to fire as well. Luigi quickly shot at the propeller while their wands were still powering up. One side of the propeller was covered in ice, but the other side still managed to hold up the Kooplings' weight. Their wands soon aimed at Luigi. He gulped, taking a cautious step back. He threw the ice-ball lamely, but it was a shocking direct hit. The propeller froze as the Kooplings were about to fire. The clown car fell to its demise, going up in smoke and tossing parts all over the room. The seven Kooplings were now scattered nearby the wreckage, moaning and groaning with pain and defeat.

Mario slid back after being hit with a small fireball. It didn't cause much damage, but it hurt and possibly caused some burns. Luigi ran to his brother's side, happy to tell him that he was able to defeat the Kooplings. Mario nodded and ordered him to try and find out what tactic they should use to now dispose of Bowser. Luigi only shrugged, feeling a little weary after the easy battle with the Kooplings. Bowser shot more fireballs at them, forcing them to keep their distance.

"C'mon! You have to have some kind of idea!" Luigi tried to fire another ice-ball, but the fire overpowered the ice. He was dehydrated, making his power useless.

"What do you mean _some kind of idea_? You're the genius!" Mario stood back, waiting for the perfect time to strike.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, bro." Luigi laughed, and then screamed as Bowser's wall of fire shot up once again.

"_Chill_ out," Mario snickered.

"Ha-ha-ha," Luigi's expression then hardened, "Haven't heard that one before."

The wall of fire died down as Bowser realized that the broken pipes above were leaking, killing the fire. He roared, making the castle rattle with the sound of his booming voice. Luigi looked up, watching the water droplets eventually turn into steady streams of water. Bowser tried to breathe fire on it, thinking the water would evaporate just like that, but this was not so.

Mario tried to attack Bowser with fireballs that he quickly created, but Bowser shoved him away. He was more interested in fixing the pipe rather than battling the brothers.

"HEY, BOWSER!"

Bowser turned to face Luigi. He growled, and prepared to attack. Luigi wiped the remains of some water off with his sleeve. His eyes beamed as he summoned ice to cover Bowser from head to toe. Bowser tried to poise himself to attack the plumber in time, but his body froze in the awkward position. Luigi smiled and walked calmly over to the frozen turtle. Mario walked over, looking at his brother with disbelief. Luigi daintily tapped the claw of the monster and a crack spread quickly across the ice figure. In an instant, Bowser was nothing but ice shards scattered across the floor. Mario quickly melted the shards before they could possibly form back together again.

The cage that held the damsel opened and Princess Peach stepped out, happy to be free. While the princess made her way towards the brothers, Luigi stepped forward, bowing in respect. The princess, however, completely ignored him. She walked over to Mario and wrapped him in her arms. Luigi glared at him, but Mario only shrugged and embraced the princess. Oh, how Luigi hated when the princess played favorites.

* * *

"Again, I thank you two for saving me," Peach cooed, "It was an amazing feat, as always."

"It was honestly nothing, princess," Mario's eyes landed on Luigi's frown. He hadn't said a word since they left the Dark Lands, which Mario found awfully peculiar.

"If there is any way that I can possibly repay you two, please feel free to let me know." the princess sounded as kind and as fake as ever – at least to Luigi.

"You've done enough for us already," Mario said slowly, keeping most of his attention on his brother.

Luigi walked beside the two as they made their way through Toad Town and towards the castle. All the Toads were crowding the streets and congratulating the brothers, once again, for a job well done. The princess returned safely to the kingdom and the kingdom wouldn't hear from Bowser for another whole month! Oh yes, everyone was indeed in a happy state.

That is, all except Luigi.

Luigi had always been pushed aside, even if he did most the work. Would he ever get the credit? No. Would he ever become famous like his brother? No. Would he ever get the girl? No. The answer was always no, and Luigi was well aware of that. He was desperate for attention and hungry for the same fame as his brother. However, Luigi kept his patience and sanity, knowing that good things come to those who wait.

Once the two guards let the three enter Mushroom Castle, the brothers were greeted by the familiar sight of servants running about and shouting at one another. Peach calmed them down to announce her arrival, but they simply welcomed her back and returned to work. She was displeased, but paid no mind. "Now, I must show you two something of great importance."

"What is it?" Mario asked with a hint of interest, although he could admit that most things Peach considered 'important' were boring and pointless.

"I can't remember every detail off the top of my head, sadly, but I'm sure you'll find it amusing."

Luigi could care less, no matter what it was.

Reaching the second floor, Peach led the brothers down the hall to the library. As Luigi passed a few vacant guest rooms, he noticed one had a mirror facing the hallway. Once he walked by, his reflection was replaced by a dark man. Luigi noticed this out of the corner of his eye and paused. Mario and Peach walked ahead of him, while Luigi walked into the room to examine the figure. As he walked deeper into the room, the door closed.

"Well, well, well," the dark man said, "Welcome back, _hero_."

Luigi stepped back, regretting his choice to walk into the room.

"What? Are you afraid of me, Luigi? Do I…frighten you?"

Luigi finally managed to speak, "I told you to keep your distance or…"

"Or else what?" the man interjected, "Hmm? Are you going to freeze me to death?" he chuckled. "I'm not that feeble, Luigi. You should know that, after all, I _was_ you."

"…For a mere moment."

"But that _mere moment_ was a lifetime. Admit it, Luigi; you loved being that dark soul you know you were born to be."

"I was never born to be evil," Luigi's voice lowered.

"And? You've always held negative energy, Luigi. Since the day Mario became Mr. Big-Shot, you held negativity and darkness inside you." the man leaned on one side of the mirror, "I only helped you release it."

Luigi didn't speak, letting the silence spread. He glanced at the floor, hoping the man wouldn't speak again.

"Listen, loser," the man snapped, "Remember that old plan you came up with? That plan to get rid of Mr. I'm-All-That-And-A-Bag-Of-Chips?"

Luigi kept his eyes on the floor and didn't respond.

"Look at me, damn it!"

Luigi moved his eyes slowly back to the man.

"You still have that plan and you still want to put it into action, don't you?"

"I don't want to hurt anybody," Luigi's voice was nothing but a faint whisper.

"Well wake up, Cinderella. If you want fame, fortune, and the high life, hurting people is your only way. Remember Peachy? She just skipped you, even though _you_ fought the battle. If you got rid of a person or two, then all eyes would be on you and you would be the main attraction. Isn't that what you want?"

Luigi shook his head, "But not that way."

The man sighed and shifted his position, "Just remember, Luigi, I'm always here," the man pointed to his head, "And I'm always watching."

The man faded away and Luigi's reflection came into view. Luigi hoped that he had disposed of that monstrosity years ago, but he was obviously still here…in Luigi's mind and slowly depriving him of his sanity. Since Mr. L didn't sound like a fitting name for the fiend, Luigi simply called him the beast, for he was the beastly side of Luigi that only wanted to destroy all those in his path.

Opening the doors of the library, Peach gasped. A cloaked person was sitting calmly by the fireplace. Mario stepped forward, preparing himself to attack once more.

"Ah, Princess Toadstool," the cloaked person laughed, "I've been expecting you."

* * *

**If you can't tell, I'm not too strong at writing action scenes. If you have any suggestions to help, that would be fantastic. **

**All reviews are appreciated, as always.**

**~T.O.N.~**


	3. Day 1: Afternoon

**Chapter 3 – Day 1: Afternoon**

The cloaked figure remained still and seated by the empty fireplace.

"Show yourself," Peach demanded in a quivering voice.

The cloaked figure laughed once again, "You're just as jumpy as I remember you. Ah, you poor little girl." The cloaked figure put a delicate hand over the hood, pulling it back slowly as a familiar face was reviled. "I guess some things never change."

"Daisy?" Peach was happy, but found Daisy's sudden arrival also puzzling.

Mario relaxed himself, "You didn't have to scare us, you know."

Daisy stood up and giggled, "Maybe I wanted to, Mario."

Mario rolled his eyes as the princess laughed some more. "Anyway," she walked over to Peach, "Let's just cut to the chase."

"What chase?" Peach tilted her head.

Daisy swayed back and forth, folding her hands together - obviously trying to act as innocent as a little girl. "I need some help from you, Peachy."

"Help? What kind of help? I thought I gave your parents a loan last month," Peach gasped, "Don't tell me that they've used it all up already. Money costs…well, money!"

Daisy put a finger over Peach's lips, silencing her rant. "Silence, my friend, silence." Daisy patted Peach's head like a dog, "I didn't come here for money. I came here because I needed something a little more important." Daisy moved her hand away and took a quick breath, "I need to be…perfect."

"Perfect?" Mario snickered, "That's not possible –"

Daisy put her hand on his head, "Silence, boy, silence."

Mario growled, like a dog, and Daisy winced, "Down, boy."

"But Daisy," Peach kept her solemn and concerned expression, "I can't teach you to be perfect. I couldn't teach anyone to be perfect. I-It just doesn't happen."

"I know, but my dad always said 'If you have the will to learn, you can be anything' and I have the will to learn. I have the will to learn how to be perfect."

"Daisy, I'm not perfect myself. I can't teach you anything even if I tried."

"Do you hear yourself?" Daisy scoffed, "My parents _adore _you. They want me to be you, and that's what I tend on doing. I'm going to learn how to be you."

Peach exhaled, thinking for a moment. Mario interrupted the silence, "Wait, who sent you here?"

Daisy didn't hesitate to reply."Me, myself and I," she said coldly.

"Daisy!" Peach ignored her previous thoughts and prepared to scold her friend, "How could you? Your parents are back in Sarasaland probably worried sick about your sudden absence and yet you have the audacity to simply stay here?! This is unacceptable and I will alert your parents this instant!"

Daisy's face went blank, "…Wow."

Peach folded her arms in a huff, "What?"

Daisy smiled, "I didn't understand a single word you said! See?! I want to do that!"

Mario sighed.

"I'm serious, Daisy!" Peach snapped, "This isn't a joke!"

Daisy shrugged, "I know, but I just want them to like me."

Mario sighed once more, not thinking twice about where this was going. He stepped out of the library before he had to be faced with the sad story that was known as reality. Mario was never one for drama, or romance, or the fuzzy-feeling that you get when you do something good. To Mario, emotions were sometimes pointless, and other times, overbearing. However, he still managed to show some sort of compassion towards his friends. Peach supposed it was just the fact that Mario kept his emotions bottled up, but she didn't object. That was just the way things were.

"I'm…I'm sure they like you," Peach forced herself to return her stare to Daisy, "You're their daughter, they have to like you."

"It's not a rule," Daisy huffed, "If it was a rule, my parents would follow it, but there's nothing in the royal law that says anything about liking your children."

Peach walked closer to her friend, resting her hand on Daisy's shoulder. "I'll try to help you, somehow, but I can't change you."

"But I want to change," the sound of determination shone out through Daisy's voice, "I want to be perfect…in every way."

Peach looked away, leaving only silence. She felt her heart ringing in her ears and her hands start to tremble from the jolt of nervousness. She knew that what Daisy was asking was impossible, because no one could ever be perfect, but maybe Peach could do something. Maybe Peach could just teach her a few things about being a princess, just to humor her. Daisy would watch Peach's every movement, take notes on her every feature, copy and memorize everything the blonde princess said. Having a pupil didn't sound like such a bad idea, after Peach had put some thought to it. Perhaps she could just spruce up Daisy's looks and attitude.

"I'll see what I can do, but I cannot promise much." Peach said quietly.

Daisy smiled, "That's all I wanted to hear."

* * *

The sun was slowly descending and turning into a fiery mix of orange and red. Daisy looked around the guest room with a content little smile on her face. The grandfather clock ticked, its golden pendulum swaying from side to side. The vanity was made out of wood that was glossed over and smooth to the touch. The wardrobe held dresses, shirts, and pants of every style; although the dresses were not as regal as the princess' since the guest rooms were meant for commoners. There were small accessories scattered across the nightstand and the desk, which Daisy had just rearranged out of pure boredom.

Shifting herself on the comfortable bed, Daisy stared outside the window. The sun appeared as if it hadn't moved and it was still hovering over the horizon. Daisy pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. She looked around her room once more, shifting her position again. The minute hand on the grandfather clock moved just a centimeter. Daisy looked out the window again. The sun was still perched high above the hill in the distance. Daisy sighed, knowing that she was restless once again.

Peach had promised her that they would start lessons the next day, and until then, Daisy had to try to make herself comfortable. Daisy was comfortable, all right, but a little too comfortable. The castle was so posh and bland. All the servants were doing the cleaning, cooking, and chores. While Daisy did admit that they were doing a wonderful job, it just seemed so predictable, and dare she say it, stereotypical. The castle was bland, to simplify. Daisy hated things that were too bland and so, she needed to find something to occupy her time until night, when she would sleep and await the next day's events.

Walking out of the back castle gates, Daisy made her way to a cliff out of the castle's view. It wasn't completely remote, but it was peaceful and empty. A calm river split the cliff and molded into a waterfall that fell before Mushroom Castle. Daisy stood close the waterfall, safely plotted next to the still river, so that the noise of the waterfall didn't disturb her. She fell to her knees, letting the chilled breeze surround her. Placing her hand gently on the grass, she only let silence linger on.

Luigi sat himself down behind a tree, where he had been shortly after the man's appearance. He wasn't fully aware of Daisy's presence, since she had been subtle and quiet. The silence was something Luigi found compelling, especially in situations of pure jealousy, which is exactly what he considered this to be. This was no more than a state of being jealous and it would all pass over eventually.

Inhaling once, Luigi gathered the strength to stand up and walk away from his hiding spot. The minute he laid eyes on the quiet princess, he quickly returned to his previous hiding spot. He managed to peer over the coarse bark of the tree and look at the princess once more. Daisy had been so quiet, which was mighty peculiar. For as long as Luigi knew her (which was only a short 3 years), Daisy had always been the one to shout something sporadic. She had always been the one to do something daring, but also clumsy. She had always been the one to annoy Luigi since he was more or less quiet when she was around. Now, the brunette was sitting calmly on the green grass, next to the still waters, close to a near sunset. Not a single word escaped her lips this time, and Luigi admired that she was finally quiet for once. Whether or not Luigi wanted to take advantage of the peaceful situation and approach the princess was beyond question, since Daisy somehow knew Luigi was watching her from a distance.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Daisy didn't look behind her and only listened for a response.

However, Luigi didn't give one. He was speechless, and felt as if he were talking to different person completely. No witty retort? No comment on how she knew he was watching her from a distance? No strike to the face for looking at a woman who wasn't fully aware of another man's presence?

Daisy finally turned around and faced him, although she didn't seem annoyed that he didn't give a response. "You can come closer," she giggled, "I don't bite."

Luigi did as he was told and walked closer to the princess. Once they were side to side, she looked up at him and patted the grass next to her. She returned her glaze to the waterfall soon after. He fell slowly to his knees and sat down next to her, cross-legged.

The distant sound of the waterfall and their breathing was all that was heard for the next few moments. Daisy never made any eye contact, since she was busy taking in all the nature around her. In Sarasaland, there was only sand, heat, and a shortage of cool water. In The Mushroom Kingdom, all the civilians experienced the four seasons, had plenty of vegetation, and an abundance of cool water (provided from the waterfalls and lakes around the kingdom). Whenever Daisy was allowed to stay with Peach for a week or two, she would just take a moment to admire the color, a beauty, which she never had at home.

Luigi, however, couldn't keep his mind or eyes off Daisy. She was being so silent. It was as if she was a loud wolf that could only be tamed with the least suspected thing – silence. And once she was quiet, tamed, she was beautiful. She held such stunning radiance that Luigi had never realized before. It was the ultimate instance where Luigi had judged the book by its cover and now, he paid the humiliating price of knowing that he was wrong.

Once Daisy's eyes moved to his, he looked away quickly, turning to the trees to the other side of him. Daisy blushed, quickly thinking that he was staring at her for quite some time. Ignoring the sudden feeling of embarrassment and partial discomfort, Daisy cleared her throat and disrupted the silence.

"I know that how I'm acting is a little, well, weird, but…" her voice trailed off as he looked over to her.

"…But what?" he asked, in a small whisper that could barely be heard.

"I don't know," Daisy sighed and looked away, "I'm just weird like that. I'm super loud at first and then I'm mega quiet…" she looked back at him, "Do you think I'm crazy?"

"Crazy?" Luigi began to smile, "You're not crazy. If you were crazy, then you'd be smashing everything in sight."

"Would I?" Daisy's expression was serious.

Luigi smile faded, "Well, not really, but…," he cleared his throat, "I…I'd be able to tell if you were crazy."

"Would you be able to tell me?"

"…Yes. I mean, of course. You deserve to know what's wrong with you."

Daisy turned away in a huff, "So something's wrong with me, right?"

"No, I didn't…Ugh, never mind."

Oh, Luigi had really gone and done it this time. Daisy looked extremely upset and didn't look at him for a few minutes. He sighed, knowing that it would be best if he just leave before he makes a fool of himself. As he prepared to rise, he heard something. Daisy hid her mouth behind her hands and still avoided eye contact with Luigi. She was giggling and trying to hide it conveniently. Luigi had completely forgotten how Daisy simply loved to tease him. He remained seated, feeling sheepish for falling for her small act.

The two spent the rest of the hour talking playful banter. Once Daisy saw the sun was fully out of view and the sky turn a light purple, she looked over to Luigi.

"I'm going to head inside," she stood up.

"Oh," he looked down at the grass, "I guess I'll…I'll see you later."

She opened her mouth to reply, but soon closed it and only nodded. Turning back, Daisy made her way downhill.

Luigi looked behind him. She was slowly fading away into the darkness. He stood up, deciding to follow after her.

Taking just once step, he was pulled back. Luigi turned around and the man released his grip.

"What do you think you're doing?" the man hissed.

"I'm going to talk to her," Luigi rubbed his arm.

"What about the plan?" the man circled around Luigi, "We spent three days coming up with that beauty and here you are, talking to Ms. Silence?!"

Luigi sighed, "It may be an advantage that only I can see you, but I'm not invisible myself."

The man crossed his arms over his chest, "You are a waste."

"Me, a waste?"

"A waste of time and space."

The man turned over to face the waterfall and made his way over. The still river soon molded into a racing waterfall. Luigi followed the man, "I told you before; I don't want to do this. I'm not going to do something that I'll undoubtedly regret."

"Who said anything about regrets, Luigi?" the man chuckled as he reached the cliff of the waterfall.

Luigi shook his head slowly, "I'm not going to be manipulated," he stood still beside him.

"Manipulated," the man laughed, "You consider this manipulation?"

Water droplets emanated from the rushing waters. Glancing down below, the fall looked like a three-story drop. It was nerve-wracking to watch the waters rush at such break-neck speeds. Luigi kept his distance from the edge to try to prevent the inevitable, for he knew exactly what was running through the man's mind.

"I'm not going to force you to do something you don't want to, but know this," Luigi turned to face the man, but he had apparently disappeared. "If you are not my ally," a cold hand was placed to Luigi's shoulder and a shiver was sent up his spine. The man quickly turned Luigi around, "Then you are my enemy."

Daisy had only returned halfway to see what Luigi was up to, but she found herself hidden carefully behind a tree, watching the strangest thing. It appeared as if Luigi was fighting _himself_. He was shouting at something and being pushed by an unseen force, but that was just it - the force was unseen. Eventually, she saw Luigi getting pushed closer and closer to the edge of the waterfall. She tried to speak loud enough for Luigi to hear her."Come on," Daisy felt her body shake, "This isn't funny. Stop joking." Her voice was faint, therefore too faint to hear.

The man pushed Luigi farther back, "You are nothing!"

Luigi felt his shoes slide over the wet grass.

"You are a fool! A coward!"

Luigi was now on the very edge of the cliff. The harsh sound of the rushing waters filled his ears. His heart raced and the only thing that kept him in place was the man's iron grip on his shirt.

Daisy forced herself to move, although breath-taking fear was all that stopped her. She only ran midway and called his name in a shrill scream.

The man turned around. Luigi put his hand out, "Don't move!"

The man laughed, tightening his grip. He returned his icy glare to Luigi. The man walked closer to the edge. Luigi was now lifted off the ground and the rapids were directly below him. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead as he gulped. "It'll be my honor to dispose of you, Luigi."

Luigi turned his head away, closing his eyes and expecting the feeling of rough waters to soon surround him. Seconds passed by, and soon a minute. Luigi opened his eyes to find himself in the same situation. The man did nothing, strangely enough, and set Luigi down on the moist dirt. The black mist that had morphed into the man soon blew away with the small breeze passing through. Luigi was left standing with his heel on the very edge of the cliff - impending doom awaiting him below.

Daisy stared aimlessly at the sight. Luigi was just about to fall to his watery grave by an unseen force, but he was perfectly fine.

"Luigi!" Daisy pulled him away from the edge after building the courage to run after him. "Luigi, w-what just…I swear I…"

Luigi hushed her with a faint _shh_ and pushed her gently away. His heart was still racing and his mind only grew with questions. Ignoring Daisy's sudden, and newfound, concern for him, Luigi walked downhill, trickling into the darkness of the forest.

Daisy stood there, bewildered by the previous events and Luigi's gentle push away. She looked down at the waterfall, listening to the rushing waters. She quickly turned around in fear that someone would push her down. Picking up her pace, Daisy ran over to Luigi, but kept a certain distance. She had a small feeling that he didn't want to talk now.

The castle area was bustling with busy bodies. Crowds of Toads were inside the castle and outside. Some had seen Luigi almost get pushed off, while others did not and did not care. Some dared to ask him what that was about since they hadn't seen Bowser's minions up there with him, but he ignored them. Daisy knew that Luigi was almost anti-social, but he would answer questions in a snap. This is when Daisy knew that something was desperately wrong.

* * *

The man stood by the edge of the waterfall, watching his chaos unfold. He knew perfectly well that he didn't mean to dispose of Luigi – at least not yet. There was so much work that was needed to be done, yet so little time. The plan was taking baby steps to completion, but it was making progress nonetheless. With Luigi in a confused state, the man thought he was able to enter his former body once again. Turning his head towards the only lasting golden rays of the sun, the man gave himself a content little smirk. He turned back downhill and slipped into the darkness.

The last golden rays of the sun faded away over time. The skies were now completely darkened in a purple shade. The golden clock tower in the middle of Toad Town began to chime. Its powering ring blared all throughout the kingdom. All the civilians knew what this meant.

The day's afternoon had come to a close and nightfall had arrived.

* * *

**The chapters from here on out will be divided into morning, afternoon, and nightfall. The day number (example: Day 1, Day 2, etc.) will be given as well.**

**Random Person: Thank you, and I do feel welcome here. It's a very nice community - at least from what I've seen. **

**To answer your question: Yes, I am planning on re-making more fairy tales to fit in with the Mario cast. I'm mostly thinking of the Disney fairy tales right now, although I'm doing a few Mother Goose one-shots (Jack and Jill, for example). The few that I have already come up with are posted on my profile, so if you're really interested, you can take a quick look at that. I'll work on one story at a time, so once this story is done, I'll start another. **

**All reviews are appreciated, as always.  
**

**~T.O.N.~**


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